I apologize for the somewhat vague question; it was difficult to write. I would welcome any specific editing suggestions.
What matters in the calculation of a person's righteousness? Is it:
- Number of mitzvos vs. aveiros ( * occasions done)
or
- Time spent doing mitzvos vs. aveiros
( or perhaps Number or Time * weight/seriousness of each individual mitzvah)
I know it sounds odd, but I expect that most people have run in to examples of this in their personal decision-making. For example, there is the impulse to do a lot of quick positive mitzvos like count the omer, kiss the mezuze, give a penny, etc., based on the assumption that a higher number of mitzvos out of 613 is the end goal. Or, occasionally, there is a temptation to weigh mitzvos against each other based on time spent--should I do a quick aveira now in order to spend less time sinning later? (It's hard to think of examples of this, but I find it comes up for me a lot on Shabbos, especially with the quasi-precedent of " "חלל עליו שבת אחת כדי שישמור שבתות הרבה". Yishai also provided the example of doing a single aveira to acquire kosher food rather than have to eat treyfs, in which every bite is an aveira, although this points to an issue of number of aveiros rather than time.)
A really good demonstration of what I'm talking about is actually this question. It asks whether there is any point to eating something "less" treyf if you are already eating treyfs. For example, would there be a halachically-rigorous reason to abstain from pork in a non-kosher restaurant? If the answer is "yes," then this points to "number" rather than "time" being the correct calculation. If "no," that would point to "time" instead of "number."
An example that points to "number" instead of "time" is the idea that eating a bug is considered very bad because it violates many specific prohibitions per time unit (or per action).
Answer
I don't think we find anywhere in Torah that we would ever make a calculation like this. While there is a discussion in Meseches Shabbas about doing an issur d'rabbanan to stop someone from doing a d'oraissa, the Gemara concludes that even that is not permissible. There are also halachos of when one is permitted to stop learning Torah to perform mitzvot, but that is a different topic based on a different set of principles exclusive to Torah learning.
We can't evaluate mitzvot at all. we do the best we can in whatever situation we find ourselves in.
I heard it brought down that the reason that most mitzvot don't have a reward value attached to them in the Torah is so that we don't make the same calculations you are trying to do.
I understand why you are asking and it would be nice if we could know the value of the mitzvot to figure this out, but here is where we must have emunah and do the best we can.
There is a story told about the Vilna Gaon who had an apostate Jew at his table. the Jew was about to drink a glass of water when the Vilna Gaon stopped him and asked him to make a bracha. the Jew was shocked "don't you know that I don't keep the Torah at all, what difference would it make if I say or skip this beracha?" the Vilna Gaon answered "Hashem judges each action we make, even down to each and every beracha, no matter what else we do".
I suggest learning Torah every day and coming up with a plan of doing the mitzvot in a way that complements your relationship with Hashem. don't worry, about how much when, just as long as you are growing and making your relationship real.
Torah is not a Zero sum game. it is the one truth for all and unique to each and every one of us!
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